Here is Love
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Lydia is a normal girl living a normal life. Then her life takes a turn for the unusual when her car breaks down in Ottery St. Catchpole.


**Written For:**

 **Beta'ed by Sophy and Jill.**

 **Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition:** Round 6 - **Beater 1 -** Write a story inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  
 _Prompts - 6_ _. (word) visitor / 13.(location) the Burrow_

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Relay Word Race

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Fun With Fishing Challenge  
Lure - Soft Plastic Baits ("I can't accept this. It's too much!" / Title Prompt - Here is Love

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Performing Arts  
Task 3 - _Write a story with a popular trope (love at first sight)_

 **Friends Competition:** TOW Rachel's Phone Number  
 _Prompt - Write about love at first sight._

 **Are You Crazy Enough to Do it Challenge**  
 _Prompt - 330. (phrase) Tell me what you really think_

xXx

 **Here is Love**

Lydia trudged along the dirt road of Ottery St. Catchpole. She couldn't believe her car had broken down. This was such a small town that it didn't get much traffic, so it would have been hours before a car passed had she had stayed with her piece of junk. And even then, the person driving might not have stopped to help her even if she was a damsel in distress. Some people didn't have a chivalrous bone in their bodies.

She would have better luck walking until she came upon a house.

She wiped a hand along her sweaty brow as she saw some rolling hills not that far in the distance. She continued walking towards the hills even as her feet ached and all she wanted to do was sit and rest.

She knew she couldn't do that, though. It was a hot day and at the very least, she would soon need water.

She was going to continue on in the meadow, pass the hills, but something made her stop.

"Is that smoke?" Lydia asked out loud, even if there was no one present to answer her.

Unless the hills were on fire, smoke usually meant a chimney, and a chimney meant a house. She couldn't believe that a house was located so out of the way, but she wasn't about to question her good fortune.

She picked up the pace and raced towards the smoke, hoping she was right and wasn't heading in the direction of raging fire.

She huffed and puffed as she ran. Her muscles burned, but she didn't stop until she was looking at a house with a very odd appearance.

It was several stories high and so very crooked that it looked like it was held up by something out of this world. Five chimneys were sticking out of the red roof, and they all had smoke billowing out.

She had never seen such an unusual looking house, but a house was a house.

She ran to what she assumed was the front door and poised her hand to knock when the door wrenched open.

She swallowed as she stared at a tall man with long red hair tied back in a ponytail and a fang earring. "May I help you?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry to bother you, but my car broke down a bit away, and I would really appreciate it if I could use your phone to call for help."

He blinked.

"Oh yeah. My name is Lydia by the way."

"Um, well, I'm Bill, but I don't think we can help you. We don't have a... phone?"

She gave him a funny look. "Is that a question?"

Bill seemed to be at a loss for words when someone else came to the door. "Hey, what's going on?"

Lydia looked at the newcomer and her breath caught. The second man was shorter than Bill and stockier, but he was absolutely gorgeous.

Bill gestured to her. "We have a visitor. Lydia. It seems her _car_ broke down, and she wants to use a phone that we don't actually have."

Charlie nodded understandingly even as his eyes appraised her appreciatively. "Well, it's miles until the next house, and we can't just push her out of the door in this kind of heat and expect her to be okay."

"What else are we supposed to do?" Bill asked through gritted teeth.

She suddenly felt annoyed. Why didn't Bill like her? What could she have possibly done or said to offend him in such a short conversation?

"She needs to go," Bill said.

"Tell me what you really think," Lydia muttered, but she knew it was loud enough to be heard by the men.

Bill had the good grace to look embarrassed. "It's not you, Lydia. Really. I don't mean to offend you, but we don't allow strangers in the house."

The stockier man rolled his eyes. "First of all, I'm Charlie, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Lydia. Second of all, Bill, her face is red, and she looks like she might pass out if she has to walk any further. You want that on your conscience?"

Lydia dropped her annoyed expression and did her best to look pathetic.

"The Statute—"

"We can't do anything about it." Charlie interrupted.

"The statute?" Lydia asked.

Charlie waved his hand as if he was waving away her question. "Don't worry about that and ignore my brother. Come in. I can at least get you a glass of water."

Lydia blushed. "Thanks. I can see which one is the nice brother."

"Oh really? Well, Darling, flattery will get you everywhere."

She followed the redheads and gazed around at the clutter. "Um, your house is very... lived in."

Charlie smirked. "It's messy. It's okay to say that. With seven children, it's not that surprising."

Lydia laughed. "Seven kids, really?"

Charlie nodded. He pointed his thumb at a scowling Bill. "The one with the stick up his arse is the oldest. I'm the second oldest. And we have four younger brothers and a younger sister."

"I'm an only child, and I always wanted a brother or sister, but I don't think I would want as many as _you_ have."

"It does get crowded," Charlie conceded, "but I wouldn't know what to do with quiet now."

They entered a kitchen and Charlie pushed her towards a chair. "Sit down. I'll get you something to eat."

Lydia watched him move around. She couldn't stop herself from smiling when he pulled out what looked like a roast. He cut a huge slab and put it on a plate, and then he put the plate in front of her with a large glass of some kind of juice. **"** I can't accept this. It's too much!"

"My mum always cooks enough to feed an army. She'd like knowing that her cooking is helping someone who doesn't have a bottomless stomach."

Lydia picked up a fork and dug in. She hadn't eaten since this morning, and it had been almost three the last time she'd seen a clock, and that had been in her car. Who knew what time it was now?

Speaking of which, that was a good question to ask. "Charlie, what time is it?"

He looked behind her, and his back stiffened. She turned to see what had caught his attention, and she found herself staring at a clock with lots of names on the face. She saw Charlie's name, and one of the hands was moving slowly towards a phrase: 'in love.'

"How is it doing that?" Lydia asked.

"Um..."

She looked at him. "Charlie? Is it a special kind of battery or programming?" Her attention was caught by what looked like a newspaper on the table— _Daily Prophet_ —and on the front page, there was a moving photograph.

Lydia quickly stood up and backed away from the table. "What are you? An alien?"

She backed up into a strong chest and jumped, looked fearfully into Bill's light blue eyes. "This is why we don't invite Muggles into the house," he growled.

"She needed help," Charlie argued.

"Muggle?" Lydia whispered. She shook her head and quickly moved away from Bill. When the brothers were in a middle of a stare-off, she took a chance and ran out of the kitchen, heading for the front door.

A strong hand grabbed her wrist. "Lydia, wait, we're not going to hurt you."

She tried to break free from his Charlie's grasp. "Please let me go."

"If we were going to hurt you, we would have done so already."

That made Lydia stop because he was right. He had had every opportunity to hurt her if he had wanted to. She looked at him. "What are you?"

"A wizard."

Lydia scoffed. "Really? You expect me to believe that?"

"You thought we were aliens. Are wizards really that far of a stretch in comparison?" He took out a long stick. "See? I have wand."

She finally managed to pull her wrist free, but she knew it was only because he allowed it. "Anyone can buy a toy wand."

" _Aguamenti_ ," Charlie said. A jet of water hit Lydia straight in the face.

She blinked stupidly.

"Want me to dry you off?"

She shook her head. "I'm okay." They stared at each other. "So, you have magic. Are there more like you?"

"There's a whole population of wizards and witches. There's actually a Statute of Secrecy to keep Muggles like you from finding out about us. Hence, why Bill wanted to keep you out of the Burrow."

"Muggle? There's that term again."

"Non-magical person," Charlie explained.

She nodded, still thinking about running from the craziness she encountered.

"Listen, I know you're a bit freaked out, but we're just like you, except we have special abilities that we were born with. If I can't get you to keep quiet about what you've discovered, you'll have your memories wiped, and you'll forget you ever met me."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better about magic?" Lydia asked incredulously.

"No, but it's the truth. Bill's threatening to call the Obliviators, but he's giving me a chance to try to talk sense into you."

"Why are you trying so hard to do that?" Lydia couldn't help but ask, even as her heart pounded at the imploring look in Charlie's eyes.

"Because there's something about you... The clock was moving towards 'in love,' and I can't help but think it isn't broken."

"I don't believe in love at first sight," she said even though her palms felt sweaty, and her legs felt wobbly, and there were butterflies flying around in her stomach.

"I didn't either, _before_ I met you."

Lydia bit her bottom lip. "You definitely have a way with words."

Charlie smirked. "You're not the first person to say that."

She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. "I just feel so confused."

"I know. Just promise to not say anything. Please. I don't want you forgetting about me."

Despite the bubbling fear she still felt, she found herself promising to be quiet. She wasn't sure what it was about Charlie, but she trusted him.

She just hoped she didn't live to regret it.

 _Fin_

xXx

(word count: 1,711)

 **Notes:** Just to clarify, my inspiration came from the following: the two main characters, Brad and Janet, discover a castle for of aliens. And in my story, a Muggle discovers a house full of witches and wizards.


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